“This is the fourth time we’ve done this survey, and we’ve been offering it a little earlier in the budget process each time,” noted Brian Parschauer, the city’s director of financial services. “The survey is straightforward, interactive, and easy to use.”

The survey takes only 5 to 8 minutes to complete, and shows the direct impact on City taxes for raising and lowering specific services. Respondents who own property can also choose to input their own assessed property values to see dollar amounts specific to their own taxes. The survey isn’t limited to just property owners, however. Everyone in Courtenay is welcome to fill out the survey, whether they own or rent.

The survey makes it easy to experiment with different scenarios, and see how changes would affect the overall budget.

Respondents can also weigh in on the top five important issues facing the city, overall satisfaction with the value of tax dollars, and what percentage of additional funding residents would be willing to contribute to water and sewer infrastructure.

Courtenay CAO David Allen said there is a direct link between the city budget and the maintenance and renewal of city infrastructure. “Asset management is one of our top priorities and biggest challenges, not just for the City of Courtenay, but for municipalities everywhere,” he noted. “This includes things like maintaining our roads, sidewalks, and underground utility pipes – these are some of the city’s core responsibilities as a local government.

“This challenge is only going to increase in the coming years as our infrastructure ages. The survey is an opportunity to get feedback from residents on how much they are willing to support this process through their tax dollars.”

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